THE LADY OF JERICHO. NEW INSIGHTS INTO THE FEMALE-HEADED TELL EL-YAHUDIYEH WARE JUG AND THE ICONOGRAPHY OF THE MIDDLE BRONZE AGE IN THE LEVANT

This article examines the female-headed Tell el-Yahudiyeh Ware jug from Jericho and provides a thorough description, including its typology, dating, and interpretation of its use. This distinctive vessel not only features a sculptured anthropomorphic head but also displays a figurative scene on its body. The figures incised on the body, documented in new drawings in unprecedented detail, include a male figure, birds, and other animals. These ele-ments are analysed in depth and compared with the iconographic evidence from the Second Millennium BCE Levant, found in media such as cylinder seals, bone inlays, and wall paintings. While the discussion of the female head and the incised scene on the vessel suggests themes of fertility, it is impossible to prove that the female figure represents a deity.